couch

Couch Slouch for Mac 1.0b3 Review

Users who link their computers to their televisions lack familiar control features. Couch Slouch for Mac attempts to allow a TV remote to control your Mac, but ultimately does not function as intended.

Download and setup completed as expected over a high-speed connection. There did not appear to be any technical support available, however. While no instructions came with the application, they were not necessary due to the easy-to-use menu and simple configuration guide. This walks the user through entering information about how their computer is connected to their television. This requires entering the HDMI port to which the TV … Read more

Cat Tunnel Sofa like a giant Habitrail for your furniture

My sofa has seen better days thanks to the hundreds of tiny claw pricks left by three cats. When I finally get around to replacing it, I would sure like to pick up a Cat Tunnel Sofa.

The Cat Tunnel Sofa incorporates a place for humans to sit, but it also features a bending tube for cats to play in. This means you're not likely to get much relaxing done as Toehawks and Ms. Floofer scurry around like hamsters right behind your head.

Korean designer Seungji Mun was inspired by the concept of pets as companions and the growing market for pet products.… Read more

A wireless mouse for your couch

Links from Friday's episode of Loaded:

Google's Eric Schmidt steps down as CEO

A new Logitech mouse is designed to work on your couch

Verizon files an appeal against the FCC's Net neutrality rules

HP replaces four board members with five new ones

Google is getting ready to compete with Groupon with Google Offers

A German software program could set an expiration date for your online photos

Angry Birds is being developed into an animated series

The 2011 Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition is released with all sorts of useless gaming facts

Are databases in the cloud really all that different?

Last week a discussion emerged in regards to the necessity of the NoSQL moniker associated with a new wave of open-source distributed database projects like CouchDB, MongoDB and Cassandra.

CouchOne, the commercial entity behind CouchDB even announced that it's moving away from associating the company with NoSQL as focuses on enabling offline data and applications.

The current orthodoxy would have you believe that if you are trying to get your head around "big data" or "Web scale" (see video), NoSQL is the answer. If you are dealing with preset data definitions being accessed by all … Read more

Vimeo gets 'couch mode' for Google TV, HTPCs

Watching Web videos on your couch is nothing new, but with Google TV's rollout now in full swing, having a big-screen-friendly version of your video site is very much in vogue.

The latest site on that growing list is Vimeo, which has just released something it's calling "couch mode." Users who point their browser toward Vimeo.com/couchmode get a full-screen video player, with big buttons and straightforward navigation to various video playlists. The idea is that you can hit the site from your Google TV, home theater PC, or even laptop and veg out to … Read more

NoSQL goes mobile with the help of CouchDB

If there is one aspect of mobility that has yet to live up to user expectations, it's the ability for data to be accessible in near real-time across multiple devices.

Despite all the advances in technology, including a wealth of Wi-Fi and 3G networks, many devices become impotent without an Internet connection.

This issue becomes even more apparent when you are dealing with browser-based applications and smartphones that don't have multithreading functionality to maintain state across applications and data stores.

I recently had the chance to chat with Damien Katz, the creator of CouchDB and CEO of Couchio, … Read more

Work your lazy bum off on these USB couches

As the Google campuses proved long ago, employee productivity depends largely on comfort and morale. While I've given up on begging human resources at CNET to hire an in-house chef, maybe they'll front the bill for a set of USB sofas.

A concept design by Cabracega for OFFF Lisbon 2008, they might look like your average La-Z-Boy, but each one functions as its own autonomous USB hub with seven cables that stick out of the cushions and allow the lounger to plug in multiple peripherals or store content.

The real appeal, though, is that you can also connect … Read more

Gadgettes 137: The Fish on a Bicycle Episode

Convergence: The occurrence of two or more things coming together. In this case, cars and couches, shoes and bathtubs, and last but not least, showers and aquariums. Try to wrap your brain around that!

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EPISODE 137… Read more

USB prosthetic finger gives new meaning to thumbdrives

This is a story about Jerry Jalava, a Finnish software developer who lost part of his finger in a motorcycle accident last July. According to his friend, Henri Bergius, when the surgeon assigned to work on Jalava's prosthetic finger discovered his hacking history, he made a clever suggestion: incorporate a USB key into the new digit.

The prosthetic finger contains a 2GB USB key, and Jalava also loaded it with Billix distribution, CouchDBX, and Ajatus to run off the drive, throwing even more geek cred into the mix.

When Jalava needs the drive, he simply pulls it off his … Read more

Living room surfing made way more geeky

With the World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King being released in a couple of weeks, I'll probably be spending a lot more time in front of my computer, getting less sleep and probably gaining a couple of extra pounds. I'm sure I'm not the only one in this situation, which is why for the sake of significant others everywhere, I've made the decision to talk about the following product with a great deal of trepidation.

Available starting at $150, the Easy Chair Mount allows those of us who just can't pull ourselves … Read more